Drogba gives three million pounds sponsorship fee to build hospital in Ivory Coast

London, Nov 12 : Chelsea's ace striker Didier Drogba has donated a three million pound sponsorship fee to help build his own hospital in Ivory Coast.

The caring striker has been humbled by the poverty of kids in his native Ivory Coast, and asked for the cash from a Pepsi deal to be pumped into the state-of-the-art centre in the West African country, which will double as an orphanage.

Land for the site has been bought and the two-storey the Didier Drogba Hospital is due to be fully operational by the end of next year, The Sun reports.

The centre will have 150-200 beds catering for children and adults and boast some of the country’s top doctors.

A source close to the star said: “It means the world to him to help those less fortunate than him back home. He has earned millions from his professional footballing career and he thinks it is time he gave something back.”

Drogba, 31, filmed his first Pepsi ad in July with fellow soccer aces Frank Lampard, Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry.

The Ivory Coast captain is idolised back home for his sporting and financial success.

He will raise funds for the hospital as part of the Didier Drogba Foundation.

“When I visited a hospital in Abidjan this year, I was shocked by the terrible conditions. We hear about all the incurable diseases, but these kids are just as likely to die from diabetes because there is no insulin available.

“It was then I decided the Foundation’s first project should be to build and fund a hospital giving people basic healthcare and a chance just to stay alive,” Drogba said on Wednesday.

--ANI